Salomon Kiana Dual Boa Women’s Snowboard Boot Review – Top of the Line
Katie Prendergast
The Kiana Dual Boa $349 is Salomon’s top-of-the-line offering in women’s snowboard boots, coming in at $349.95, above the Scarlet, Pearl, and Ivy models. The price point is on par with top-of-line boots from other manufacturers.
Straight out of the box, the boots were super comfortable and fit like a (slightly) tight glove. I’d say the boots run true to size. I was flip-flopping between size 7 and 7.5 and should have gone with the half size, since that’s what I normally wear. Go with your usual boot size.
Personal miscalculation aside, after wearing them around the house and out on the slopes, I’m glad they’re on the tighter side because you just get so much more control over your board than with a roomier fitting boot.
Salomon Kiana Dual Boa Women’s Snowboard Boot Review
Some of the Kiana’s standout features:
- The dual boa system gives you separate control of the upper and lower zones for a truly dialed-in fit.
- Ortholite footbed liner is comfortable and fully heat moldable.
- The back of the boot features rubberized material over the heel which helps suction into your highback bindings. (Seriously, I almost couldn’t step out of my bindings when I unstrapped, the grip is that intense.)
- Similarly, there’s a rubber stripe over the toe box that at first glance just “looks cool,” but also functions to grip your binding toe strap.
The outer material is a combination of a synthetic leather outsole and fabric over the tongue. These boots come in two colorways, black and “wine tasting,” and while I’m not a huge fan of pink personally, the wine tasting colored boots do have a cool contrasting pattern that reminds me of retro skate shoes.
The manufacturer rates their support 4 out of 5 with a medium flex and I agree with that rating – they’re stiff and supportive in all the right ways, giving you great control over your board. Plus, the sticky toe and heel really don’t allow for any wiggle between the boots and your bindings, further improving control on the mountain.
Okay, now the good stuff – how do they hold up actually riding?
My first test run in the boots was a warm bluebird day at Loveland, so I can’t say how toasty they’ll keep your toes during a bitterly cold day. I can say that my feet never felt overheated despite the warm temperatures, which bodes well for spring skiing.
After a couple of runs, I was impressed with the Kianas. They are super comfortable and provide a lot of control between your feet and your board – two major boxes to tick in any snowboard boot.
Walking felt as comfortable as with any other snowboard boot – a little more clunky than tennis shoes, but otherwise natural. The boots have deep treads under the toe box, forefoot, and heel that felt stable on both ice and snow.
The only cons I noticed with the Kianas are these:
First, as noted above, I almost couldn’t step out of my binding when I unstrapped my feet because of the suction between my highbacks and the rubberized heel of the boot. This is a minor complaint, and once you get used to it, no big deal.
Secondly, the day after riding, I noticed that the inside of my lower leg felt almost bruised, which I’m chalking up to the fact that I should have sized up to 7.5’s – it’s not something I noticed while riding, only after the fact.
For being Salomon’s top-of-line boot, the Kianna has all the premium features you’d expect: dual zone boa lacing, fully moldable footbed liners, comfortable, supportive, and stylish design.
Katie Prendergast
Katie is a writer, strength and nutrition coach, and avid fan of all things outdoors. She climbs, snowboards, hikes, mountain bikes, and spends time in the mountains whenever she can.
When Katie is not outside, she helps skiers/riders and climbers build strength in the gym to more confidently tackle their next adventure.
Some of her favorite things are lifting heavy things, drinking craft beer, and hanging out with her pup, Gunner.
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